Falcons to go back to Desmond Ridder as starting QB after bye

Looks like the Bucs won’t be playing a different quarterback in their rematch against the Falcons after all.

It seemed as if the Atlanta Falcons would have a new quarterback when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced them again on Dec. 10, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to be the case anymore.

The Falcons initially announced quarterback Taylor Heinicke would be the starting quarterback for Atlanta, but after Heinicke played in three games and started in two, the Falcons are making the switch back. NFL’s Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday that Desmond Ridder will once again be Atlanta’s starting quarterback after the team returns from their Week 11 bye.

Ridder has played two games against the Bucs, once at the end of 2022 and once this year at the beginning of the season. In those two games, he’s completed 69.1% of his passes for 474 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. That doesn’t mean he was turnover free, though, as Ridder fumbled three times against the Bucs in their first matchup in 2023 but won the game anyway 16-13.

So far on the season, Ridder has completed 65.4% of his passes for 740 yards, 6 TDs and 6 interceptions. He’s fumbled seven times in nine games.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5 category=1364]